Quarantining in an Airbnb in Korea during COVID
This is most likely outdated information, since it is from January 2021.
But! I went to Korea for a few months then — as a foreigner — and I wanted to share the entry experience during COVID.
Korea is pretty strict on COVID regulations — though now in July 2021 there are more than a thousand cases per day, back in January the country freaked out over 200 or so cases. While the border is open, all foreigners who enter must quarantine. This — as of July 2021 — is no longer true; foreigners who were vaccinated outside of Korea and are visiting Korean relatives are no longer required to quarantine but must go through a process of proving your intention and health. Foreigners who were vaccinated in Korea (who likely already have visas) and nationals who were vaccinated in Korea are not required to be quarantined.
Keep in mind the following information is from Jan 2021! I am a Korean born American (no dual citizenship) and both my parents are American as well. The official statement from the Korean government was that all foreigners have to be quarantined in government mandated facilities — hotels with varying qualities of food service. Foreigners with immediate family (parents, siblings, children) were allowed to stay with their family as long as there was a suitable quarantining area. I didn’t have immediate family in Korea, but I had cousins and uncles. I called the Korean embassy and they let me know that uncles and aunts were allowed as viable visiting targets for the hotel-exemption.
My experience would have been much, much easier and smoother had I not tried to be hotel-exempt. But on the other hand, I would have had to pay a lot more for housing and not be able to eat delivery food — which is phenomenal and very exciting in Korea. So I opted to weasel my way out of it.
First, I needed to prove to the immigrations officer that I indeed had aunts and uncles in Korea, which meant documentation. This proved to be a lot more difficult because I didn’t want my grandparents — who were able to get the family registry that includes my uncles and me on the same file — to visit the local governmental office to get this. Instead, I had an old family registry showing my relation to my parents. There was just no other way to get proof of my parents’ relation to my uncle, and — I’m really glad this worked — I printed out a bunch of family photos, circling my uncle’s faces. I also made sure to include my birth certificate and name change that I got during naturalization.
Second, I had to get a COVID test that showed a negative result for a sample taken within 72 hours of travel. This was also difficult because not many places in America guarantee a 72 hour turnaround. I went to three different places to increase the chances of having a test completed by my flight, but also got a rapid test just in case I needed to argue my way through, since — having effectively quarantined for months, I was sure I didn’t have COVID.
Third, I needed someone who could be my “guardian” for the duration of my quarantine, since I can’t provide the immigrations agent a phone number where they can reliably reach me. But this means the guardian has to be awake and able to answer the call for verification purposes. Some flights from the USA arrive at 5:30AM, like mine, so this was a wee problem.
Once I got to the airport, the baggage attendants checked my COVID test along with my passport. Once I got to the gate, the agent checked my COVID test again. Strangely, the agent at the gate told me that the RESULT — not SAMPLING — of the test had to be within 72 hours. Not sure why she thought that because another agent later told me otherwise, but who really knows anything that is going on these days.
BEFORE getting on the plane, I downloaded two apps that the Korean government requires for tracking our health and locations. I found two apps, but I think they were redundant in practice. At the entrance of the plane, there was another temperature check and COVID negative test check.
Once I got off at the ICN airport, there was yet another temperature check and COVID negative test proof check. Here, they were much more thorough on checking the source of the test center. Then they give you some papers about the quarantine process.
Then the whole thing began. I mentioned to the first agent who was directing me somewhere to go that I am a foreigner but speak Korean and have relatives. They directed me somewhere, but I’m not sure if that was the foreigner side or the nationals side or if that even mattered.
At the first desk, they took my temperature again, and looked over some of my documents and passport.
Then I was directed onto another desk where they yet again checked some of my other documents, but this time they also asked me to call my guardian. I had asked my cousin to be awake for the call, and of course, she didn’t pick up. The immigration hall was really empty. So my Kakao ringtone on speakerphone just echoed through and everyone just sat there patiently listening to my cousin not pick up. After the second failed attempt I called my uncle, who was thankfully awake and they were able to vouch for me and confirm that we are related.
After this, I was directed into a small room to yet another desk that reviewed my proof of family. They asked for my grandparents’ dates of birth, and looked over my family photos.
After this, there was yet another desk where they looked over my files again.
After that final desk, I finally was able to set foot on the escalator to grab my bags. Once I got my bags and did the standard exit, I was met with another desk, where they — again — reviewed some of my documents. I thought this was it, too, but after this desk, there was another desk where they took my temperature and then gave me a sticker.
NOW I was finally free.
I had gotten Google Fi, so I skipped the convenience store that sold SIM cards, but man, I wish I had bought one. More on that later.
To get to the city, you either need a private pick up, special taxis, special sections of the train, or special buses. At nearly 7AM (that much time had passed during all my document checks even though there was no wait) only the taxis were available to me. The taxi system was pretty standard, but the taxi driver — having done this many times — explained to me about the secondary COVID test I would have to do. This information was also outlined in one of the sheets that the agent gave me at the first desk in ICN.
The information is: you have to report to the nearest testing center within 24 hours of landing to get a COVID test. And mind you — these tests are nothing like those soft cotton swabs that we get here in the states. They are long and it feels like they poke your brain (they do not). They give you some basic quarantine stuff like cleaning agents, hand sanitizer, masks, and disposable thermometers. They take your phone number (or for my case, my cousin’s) and let me know that they’d be sending results there. You can walk or take a taxi there, and I think you can also take public transportation there, which is a bit odd to me. Amazingly though, test results come back in less than 24 hours. Gotta love Korean efficiency.
Then, you spend the next two weeks at your desired location — mine was an Airbnb.
Everyday, you have to input your health condition and temperature twice a day in the app. If the phone doesn’t move for too long, it will yell at you and tell you to confirm your location. I’m not quite sure where the app thinks I will be walking to in a quarantine environment, but fine. Also, once a day, you will receive a call from an agent. And by that, I mean you need a callable phone number, which is difficult for more reasons I will explain. But to get around this, you can create a kakaotalk account, and have your guardian relay your id to the agent so that they can call you via Kakaotalk.
During the stay, you have to buy (or bring a filter for — that works too) water as the Koreans do. You can do this online. You can also order food online. Both require a Korean phone number. The former also requires a Korean credit card or bank account, and the latter sometimes requires that or Korean cash. Honestly, it was a nightmare. I tried having a friend order a SIM online for me, but I was unable to activate it because I was a foreigner. Due to the COVID quarantine regulations, I tried not to use my card. Thankfully, I had enough cash on me to pay for my meals. I asked the landlord to buy and deliver water to the Airbnb. Everything was left outside and I just popped outside to grab it.
At the end of the two week quarantine, you have to report back to the same testing office and get another test. Once the test results come back negative, you are officially a free human.
Side note, Google Fi sucks. Believe me, I normally love Google. But not only did they not post the information that wifi voice calling does not work in Korea — making calling very expensive — the internet and calling straight up did not work. When contacted for help, they asked how long I would be staying and required my exact address. If the duration is short (a few days) Google Fi customer support will suggest you to get a new local SIM instead. I had also brought along a data-only SIM to use with the Google Fi service, and that SIM did not work. I had tried activating it on another phone later on, and it activated my original Google Fi service on it instead of the data-only. Of course when contacting Google, they just said they don’t know how to help and suggested that my phone or the SIM card was just wrong and to order a new SIM Card if it was the latter. My phone, being the latest Pixel, surely is compatible.
